A Large quarry pit was uncovered during archaeological investigations on land to the south of Laundry Road, Minster, Kent. The pit was also observed during an evaluation of the site. This feature has been dated to the later Bronze Age based on the finds that were within its fills and its proximity to the Late Bronze Age enclosure/settlement.

The quarry pit was located within the centre of the excavated area, forming a large subrectangular shape with steep undulating sides and an undulating base, measuring 17.63m in length, 15.83m in width and 1.8m in depth. The north, west and south sides of the quarry pit were steep, almost vertical in places and likely formed the quarry face. The eastern side of the feature was moderately sloped and likely to have been the access ‘ramp’ down into the quarry itself. The southern edge of the quarry narrowly misses cutting Late Bronze Age enclosure ditch. The quarry pit contained five fills. The first being a deliberate backfill of very light brown silt with an abundant amount of chalk nodules and a rare amount of flint nodules, pottery sherds and animal bone; measuring 1m in thickness and 2.78m in width. The first fill was located along the southern edge of the pit. The second fill was a deliberate backfill of light brown silt with a very common amount of chalk nodules and a sparse amount of flint nodules, measuring 0.6m in thickness. The second fill covers the whole base of the quarry pit. The third fill was a secondary fill of mid brown silty clay with a rare amount of pottery sherds and animal bone throughout, measuring 0.75m in thickness. The third fill also covered the whole of the quarry pit. The fourth fill was a deliberate backfill of light brown silt with a common amount of flint and chalk nodules, measuring 2.85m in width and 0.85m in thickness. This fill was located along the western edge of the quarry pit. The fifth fill was a secondary fill of dark brown silty clay with a rare amount of chalk pea grit and flint, measuring 0.53m in thickness. (1-2)

The quarry pit was also revealed during earlier evaluation trenching at the site. It covered the majority of trench 5, measuring 15.75m in length. Two slots were excavated into the feature by machine excavation, at its NE and SW edges. The slot at its NE edge measured 2.70m in length and was excavated to 1.08m, though the base was not reached. It had a slightly stepped edge and contained three fills. The lower fill was formed of light grey chalky silt with occasional flint inclusions, and was 0.90m wide and 0.50m deep with no finds. Overlying this was fill which was light yellow grey sandy silt and included a single pottery sherd of like Early Iron Age date and fragments of animal bone. The upper fill was mid orange brown clay silt with common chalk and flint inclusions as well as worked late prehistoric flint flakes. (information summarised from source) (3)

An extractive pit was visible as a cropmark in RAF/541/508 RS 4064 22-APR-1950. On the basis of evidence described above, it is assumed to date to the Bronze Age. This feature was mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. (4)

<1> Wessex Archaeology, 2021, Land south of Laundry Road Minster, Kent Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation (Unpublished document). SKE54821.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 2022, Land south of Laundry Road Minster, Kent Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation (Unpublished document). SKE55183.

<3> Archaeology South - East, 2020, Archaeological evaluation report, land adjacent to Premier Inn, Laundry Road, Minster, Thanet (Unpublished document). SKE55738.

<4> Historic England Archive, 1941-1960, Historic England Archive RAF vertical aerial photographs, RAF/541/508 RS 4064 22-APR-1950 (Archive). SKE57101.